Katas Raj Temple

The artist visited the Shri Katas Raj temples often termed as Katas Qila on the 5th of November 2022. The Journey started early at 7 am and it took 1 hour to reach there covering a distance of 36.9 KM from Chakwal city. The scenery and the view of the Shri Katas Raj temples were mesmerizing.





The major focus was on photography of the different historic parts of the Katas Raj inside and outside. Right in front of the Katas Raj temples situated Pandava Famous Well. On 50 meters right to the well, there were caves of ancient times, popularly known as Pandava’s caves. The caves reflect the life of the Pandavas of pre-historic times. There were few other remaining of the katas Qila but there was no authentic information about them.
The next task was to cover the main Shri Katas Raj Temples. For that, Artists started with the Site Map of Katas Raj affixes on a large board near the Shri Temple. The site map was informative and properly guided about the different historic places inside the Shri Katas Temple or Katas Qila. Following the sitemap, the pictures of the key places were taken and luckily, there was not much rush on the day. Following the location signs, the first near location was Shri SHIV Temple. The temple was closed so did not get the chance to take the pictures from inside on the first attempt. So there was a need for a guide through which access would be possible to the locked locations of the Shri Katas Raj Temples. After a search of a few minutes and on request to the administration, the artist found the guide, Ali Raza. Mr. Ali Raza has been there for the last 15 years. The guide tour was very informative and the photography and the notes taken became systematic.
The first guided place was Amrat Kund (Holy water) situated near the Sitemap. The Amrat Kund is also known as Aanso Jheel (Tear Lake). The Hindus believed that while taking a bath in this Paviter Jheel (Pure Lake) their sins are removed and they become pious. The guide informed us that there is a myth that Lord Shiva's tears fell during fighting with his then-deceased wife, Lady Sati. According to the guide, he shed two tears, one of which resulted in the development of this pond surrounding Katas Raj and the other in the formation of another pond in the Indian state of Ajmer.
Additional research suggests that the name "Katas Raj" is derived from the Sanskrit term "kataksha," which means "tearful eyes." According to Hindu legend, Lord Shiva cried excessively at the death of his beloved spouse Sati. The tears he shed that fell on the earth produced the ponds at Katas Raj. As a result of their spiritual and mythical significance, the temples around the pool have long been known as Katas Raj. The pond was previously known as Viskund, which translates to "poison spring," before being renamed Amarkund, Chamaskund, and finally Katakshkund, which translates to "Spring of Sad Eyes." The pond's name in Urdu and Persian is Chashm-e-Alam, which translates to "Sorrowful/Tearful Eyes." The Katas Raj Temples are often referred to as Qila Katas. The name Qila means "castle" or "fort" in the native language. As a result, the name Qila Katas is popular among residents near the Katas Raj Temples. A baradari, also known as a havan kund (YAGYA), is located on the left side of the Amrat kund. The baradari was a magnificent medieval edifice with 12 doors that opened on all sides for unlimited breeze and pillars that supported the culture.
The Ramachandra Mandir is located to the east of the Hari Singh Haveli and is closed from all sides except the entrance. The two-story structure includes eight rooms of varying sizes on the ground level and a stairway to the first floor to the south. Two of the mandir's jharokhas (balconies) have been seriously damaged. This collection of temples is devoted to the Hindu holy figures Hanuman, Ram, and Lord Shiva.
Later, the Pandavas took control and built a Variety of Hindu temples and compiled Rig Vida Hindu texts in Katas Raj caves, which are still there. The Katas Raj complex is described in both the Mahabharata and the Rig Vida. Hindu followers refer to it as Sri Katas Dam out of reverence.
Katas Raj is the second biggest Holy place in Punjab. These complex temples include Hindu, Sikh, and Buddhist places of worship. Each of the seven Hindu temples represents a sect of Hinduism. The Satgraha is a collection of seven ancient temples, the remnants of a Buddhist stupa, five additional medieval temples, and havelis placed around a pond deemed sacred by Hindus. Katas' temples are generally built on square platforms. The sub-shrines' elevation appears to create a succession of cornices with short rows of pillars, capped by a ribbed dome. The seven temples were designed in the manner of Kashmiri temples, with dentils, fluted pillars, trefoil arches, and pointed rooflines.
The Hanuman Mandir is located at the western end of a towering rectangular enclosure with south and north entrances. The ceiling of the temple is plain and lime-plastered. The Shiva temple is erected on a square platform as well. It has a recessed round arch with weak cusps and a rectangular aperture to the north at its entry.
During the reign of Hari Singh Nalwa, a modest fort, and home were erected for his usage as a fort and dwelling. The fort is situated on a tiny hill overlooking the entire temple complex. The fort is rectangular in shape and has four bastions, one in each corner. The fort's walls are roughly 5 meters tall, with an opening in the western wall. The fort's middle section has a small courtyard surrounded by an arched veranda. The internal rooms were unadorned.
It is also historically significant since it is where the Arab explorer and historian Al-Beruni sought to estimate the circumference of the Earth, as well as where he studied and learned Sanskrit before writing his legendary "Kitab-ul-Hind." Even now, Hindu pilgrims from India visit it regularly to pray. At Katas, there is also a modest fortified mansion or traditional 'haveli' known as 'Hari Singh Nalwa di Haveli' (Hari Singh Nalwa's Haveli/Mansion). This Hari Singh was a well-known Sikh commander and administrator who served as governor in Kashmir and Hazara territories during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and was a pillar of the Sikh authority in Punjab. According to locals, this 'haveli' at Katas, named after Hari Singh, was most likely built by this capable commander somewhere in the nineteenth century, perhaps 10-12 years before his death. He used to come here to visit and stay, and it is assumed he erected it for his use as well as a garrison to defend the sacred place. There isn't much known about this location right now; locals don't appear to know anything, and the government is similarly uninformed and uninterested. Despite being a popular destination for Hindus, the temple complex, as well as this lovely ancient 'haveli' and other historic structures, are in disrepair.
The Author/ Artist has composed her artwork in collage work to give it a modernized look and named it “Fusion of KatasRaj” (Image.11-13). That artwork depicts the Cultural heritage of Chakwal creatively arranged in the form of a collage that imitates the face of Katas Raj Temple. From a distance, the image looks like a beautiful landscape but when we see this artwork closely it creates a collage from a variety of images from different parts of Katas Raj Temple, Hanuman Mandir, Shiv Ram Mandir, Hari Singh Nalva Haveli, SatGarh. Numerous images simultaneously occupy the same space as either larger pictures encompass smaller ones or source images are collected up and arranged to resemble different subjects. So, creating this collage fusion is the best idea to preserve the Cultural Heritage.